One of the biggest losses in the music world over the past year was the death of Fleetwood Mac singer-songwriter-keyboardist and pianist Christine McVie. Though the tributes flowed after her death in late November of 2022, the GRAMMYS provided a perfect platform to pay tribute to her musical legacy, with McVie’s longtime Fleetwood Mac bandmate Mick Fleetwood joining Sheryl Crow and Bonnie Raitt for a performance of “Songbird” during the In Memoriam segment.
“For me to get to tribute Christine, because they’ve been—the band and Christine—so influential on me, but also to get to do it with Mick, it’s so deep and meaningful to me,” Crow exclusively told Bobby Bones during E! Live from the Red Carpet. “I feel like I’m getting the honor of getting to honor.”
Fleetwood added, “Having Sheryl and Bonnie singing this beautiful song, I think all of us collectively are here representing Christine What she meant as a person in Fleetwood Mac and of course personally to me and the band members and a lot of other family members. Outside of that, I think it’s a moment to accolade the wonder of a hugely talented, lovely unsuspecting lady known as Christine McVie.”
“There is a lot of fuss, but we are really happy to be making a fuss of her,” he continued. “It’s double edged—it comes with a celebration and a quiet prayer that contains some sadness of loss. But having it be able to come to life with this lovely lady [Sheryl], and Bonnie, is a beautiful thing for me to see happen.”
Earlier in the day, McVie received a posthumous Grammy for Best Arrangement, Instruments and Vocals with “Songbird (Orchestral Version)” by Vince Mendoza.
For the performance, Fleetwood took his place playing a hand-held drum tom, while Crow played piano and traded vocals with Raitt on “Songbird,” the final portion of the “In Memoriam” segment that also included nods to Loretta Lynn and Migos rapper Takeoff with Kacey Musgraves, Quavo and Maverick City Music performing the other portions of the tribute.
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